It is OK to say no

When was the last time you said “No, thank you” to a potential customer?

Have you ever said no?

When business owners start out they very often take on any work from anybody – on the principal that it is work and it pays the bills.

And that is fine, up to a point…

However, if that customer has persuaded you to work for less than your normal rate, or is constantly demanding your time, for little or no reward, suddenly the benefit of getting the money in is reducing.

By that, we mean, if you take the rate you have agreed and divide it by the number of hours you are really working for that customer, you will soon realise what your true hourly rate is – and, sometimes, that is a very stark wake up call!

Irrespective of rates, you may well feel dread when a certain type of customer makes contact. You know you don’t work well with that type of customer, and it is always challenging.

Having the strength to say no is an important part of taking your business forward to the next level. And by saying no, you are giving yourself time to invest in finding the right kind of customer, those who are right for your business.